Adjustable fulcrum member for use with a pry bar

Abstract

An adjustable fulcrum for use with a pry bar to provide the pry bar with leverage to lift or move an object. A tool for lifting or moving an object including a pry bar with a fulcrum member. The fulcrum member has a body with slots in the sidewall of the body. The slots extend part of the length of the body of the fulcrum member between the ends of the body parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fulcrum member. One (1) end of the slots is open to allow for easily mounting the fulcrum member on the pry bar. The fulcrum member is mounted on the pry bar so that the pry bar extends through two (2) of the slots of the fulcrum member.

1. A tool for lifting an object which comprises:
 (a) a pry bar having a first end towards a user and an opposed second end for prying the object defining a longitudinal axis of the pry bar with a thickness between a top surface and a bottom surface; and 
 (b) an adjustable and removable fulcrum member having a cylindrical shape with a first end and a second end defining a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical shape of the fulcrum member and with a sidewall defining and extending a center bore around the longitudinal axis between the ends, the fulcrum member having at least two, spaced apart first and second slots extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fulcrum member, each slot having an open end adjacent the first end of the fulcrum member wherein a first slot is configured to be towards the user and the second slot is configured to be towards the object to be lifted, wherein the fulcrum member is configured to be slidably mounted on the pry bar between the first and second ends of the pry bar so that the pry bar extends between two of the slots through the fulcrum member and wherein the thickness of the pry bar between the top surface and the bottom surface is less than a width of the first and second slots such that the bottom surface of the pry bar engages a lower of opposed sides of the first slot and engages an upper of opposed sides of the second slot when the first end towards the user is pressed down for prying the object; 
 wherein the fulcrum member has a third slot towards the object to be lifted and wherein a distance around a circumference of the sidewall in a clockwise direction between the first slot and the third slot is greater than a distance around the circumference of the sidewall in the clockwise direction between the first slot and the second slot. 
 
   
   
     2. The tool of  claim 1  wherein the first slot is spaced apart around a circumference of the sidewall in a clockwise direction less than 180° from the second slot. 
   
   
     3. The tool of  claim 1  wherein a length of each of the slots between the ends is greater than a width of the pry bar between the sides. 
   
   
     4. The tool of  claim 1  wherein the fulcrum member has three slots, one on the side of the user and two spaced apart on the side of the object to be lifted. 
   
   
     5. The tool of  claim 1  wherein the fulcrum member is mounted on the pry bar such that the longitudinal axis of the pry bar is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fulcrum member. 
   
   
     6. A tool for lifting an object which comprises:
 (a) a pry bar having a first end towards the user and an opposed second end for prying the object defining a longitudinal axis of the pry bar with a thickness between a top surface and a bottom surface; 
 (b) an adjustable and removable fulcrum member having a cylindrical shape and a center bore and having a first end and a second end defining a longitudinal axis of the fulcrum member with a sidewall extending along the longitudinal axis between the ends, the fulcrum member having at least three, spaced apart first, second and third slots extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fulcrum member, each slot having an open end adjacent the first end of the fulcrum member wherein a first of the slots is configured to be towards the user and the second and third slots are configured to be towards the object to be lifted, wherein the fulcrum member is configured to be slidably mounted on the pry bar between the first and second ends of the pry bar so that the pry bar extends between two of the slots through the fulcrum member and wherein the thickness of the pry bar between the top surface and the bottom surface is less than a width of the first, second and third slots such that the bottom surface of the pry bar engages a lower of opposed sides of the first slot and engages an upper of the second slot when the first end towards the user is pressed down for prying the object; and 
 (c) a slide pad mounted on an outer surface of the sidewall between two of the slots so as to slide along and then engage a ground surface during the prying. 
 
   
   
     7. A tool for lifting an object which comprises:
 (a) a pry bar having a first end towards the user and an opposed second end for prying the object forming a longitudinal axis of the pry bar with a thickness between a top surface and a bottom surface; and 
 (b) an adjustable and removable fulcrum member having a cylindrical shape and a center bore and having a first end and a second end defining a longitudinal axis of the fulcrum member with a sidewall extending along the longitudinal axis between the ends, the fulcrum member having at least three, spaced apart first, second and third slots extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical shape of the fulcrum member, each slot having an open end adjacent the first end of the fulcrum member wherein a first slot is configured to be towards the user and the second and third slots are configured to be towards the object to be lifted, wherein the fulcrum member is configured to be slidably mounted on the pry bar between the first and second ends of the pry bar so that the pry bar extends between two of the slots through the fulcrum member, and wherein the thickness of the pry bar between the top surface and the bottom surface is less than a width of the first and second slots such that the bottom surface of the pry bar engages a lower of opposed sides of the first slot and engages an upper of the second or third slot when the first end towards the user is pressed down for prying the object. 
 
   
   
     8. A tool for lifting an object which comprises:
 (a) a pry bar having a first end towards the user and a an opposed second end for prying the object forming a longitudinal axis of the pry bar with a thickness between a top surface and a bottom surface; 
 (b) a fulcrum member having a cylindrical shape and a center bore and configured to be slidably and removably mounted on the pry bar between the ends of the pry bar, the fulcrum member having a first end and a second end forming a longitudinal axis of the fulcrum member with a sidewall extending between the ends and having at least two spaced apart slots extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fulcrum member, each of the slots having an open, first end adjacent the first end of the fulcrum member wherein a first slot is configured to be towards the user and the second and the third slots are configured to be towards the object, wherein the fulcrum member is mounted on the pry bar so that the pry bar extends between the two slots of the fulcrum member with the first end of the pry bar extending beyond one of the slots of the fulcrum member in a first direction and the second end of the pry bar extending beyond one of the other slots of the fulcrum member in a second direction opposite the first direction and wherein the thickness of the pry bar between the top surface and the bottom surface is less than a width of the first and second slots such that the bottom surface of the pry bar engages a lower of opposed sides of the first slot and engages an upper of the second slot when the first end towards the user is pressed down for prying the object; and 
 (c) a slide pad mounted on an outer surface of the sidewall so as to slide along and then engage a ground surface during the prying. 
 
   
   
     9. The tool of  claim 8  wherein the first and second directions are along the longitudinal axis of the pry bar and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fulcrum member. 
   
   
     10. The tool of  claim 8  wherein the fulcrum member has a third slot and wherein a distance around a circumference of the sidewall between the first slot and the third slot is greater than a distance around the circumference of the sidewall between the first slot and the second slot. 
   
   
     11. The tool of  claim 10  wherein the first slot is spaced apart around the circumference of the sidewall in a clockwise direction less than 180° from the second slot. 
   
   
     12. The tool of  claim 8  wherein a the slide pad is provided on an outer surface of the sidewall of the fulcrum member between the two of the slots and made of nylon.